Slipping Through My Fingers
by AquilaMage
Summary: Cia had waited thousands of years for Hylia to return to her, but eventually, she finds she must take matters into her own hands to rescue her love from her own mistakes.


Inspired by lesbianlinkle's excellent Hyrule Warriors AU that I couldn't help but write about: post/159690032465

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Zelda leaned her arms over the edge of her balcony as she surveyed the castle grounds below. Although it wasn't even bright enough out to count as sunrise, the courtyard was already packed with trainees, going through their drills with a more solemn, determined aura than was usual. The upper ledges and pathways, too, bristled with troops just getting off night patrol.

She sighed as a signal went out to wake the general population. It meant the end of the little time she got alone, stolen from time meant for sleep, since dawn meant Impa would come to prepare her for another day commanding her troops in this war.

Fighting itself wasn't the problem. Despite the masses of bokoblins and other monsters that crowded at Hyrule's borders like a tide, they so far proved to be more of an annoyance, occupying soldier's time and causing structural damage to towns. What kept the princess on edge were the smaller, well, they were calling them 'raids,' on many of the land's temples and libraries. Witnesses all told the same story: a bright fog would descend on them, forcing people to flee the area. When they returned inside, it would seem as though nothing had been stolen, for nothing valuable they would expect to have been taken was lost. It would only be after that someone would realize that a book or relic was missing, all regarding either the Triforce or the ancient goddess Hylia.

It wasn't even certain that these events were even related to the invasion, except that they had started at the same time. Besides, if someone was interested in the Triforce…. Zelda had resolved to take any measures necessary to protect its power.

"You're just as lovely as I remember." A soft, almost pained murmur came from inside the room.

Zelda spun around, hand instinctively going to her side, forgetting that it still lay against the side of her bed. In her nightgown and against the bare stone of the balcony, she had nothing to defend herself from the figure that slowly emerged from behind the slightly pulled-back curtain of the window.

The woman was tall, imposing in her flawless posture, both only accentuated by the grace with which she walked in her heels. She wore a dark purple robe, every inch decorated with gold and jewels. But most striking was her expression, hands held at her side with the palms open, nonthreatening, and staring at Zelda with the deepest expression of soft but barely restrained joy.

"Who are you?" Zelda called out to her, dropping her weight in a defensive stance with her arms in front of her as a guard. While she appeared to be unarmed and unthreatening, the princess knew there was something off about the woman. She had never seen her before, and there was no way she could have gotten past the guards without some kind of aid, likely magical.

At Zelda's words, she flinched, reversing the forward step she had just taken. Lowering her head, she sighed. "I should have known it wouldn't be that easy." She spoke more to herself than to Zelda.

"I'll not ask again. Who are you, and what do you want from me?" Taking full advantage of the woman's distractedness, she calculated the easiest way around and back towards her weapons, and if need be, out and towards backup. "Answer!"

The woman slowly raised her gaze, bright purple eyes even more contrasting against the deep brown of her skin as they shone with gathering water. "It's me. Cia?" She watched Zelda intently now as she swpt a foot towards her, raising one hand in a slow, controlled motion, careful not to make any sudden moves and startle the princess. "I've waited for you, you know. So long. Centuries upon centuries alone, keeping the balance, watching over your people."

Zelda was frozen in place, stunned by the gentle tone and the words. It didn't make sense. The woman spoke as if she was someone she knew, and to speak of lifetimes as if it were nothing…she didn't know how to process it.

"You promised me. I agreed to your plan, of course I did," her voice trembled. "Mortals were always so precious to you, so how could I stand to see you pained over their suffering?" Cia had edged so close to Zelda now, almost within arm's reach. "But you don't have to do this anymore. Come back to me, my Hylia."

"!" The mention of the goddess clicked everything together in Zelda's suspicions. This woman standing before her had to be the one searching for information on Hylian ad the Triforce. She backed up until the cold stone of the railing chilled her back through the light fabric, regarding the other with narrowed eyes now. "You're the one leading the monster attacks, aren't you?" It wasn't completely for sure, but Zelda was confident in her suspicions.

Cia bit her bottom lip, clenching her hands closed and then opening them again. Then, she straightened up. "I have them under my complete control. I know how much these people mean to you, and I wish them no harm." A slight tilt of the head, and her eyes took on an excited gleam. "I've figured it out, a way to restore you to immortality, and things can be like they used to be." She clasped her hands together in front of her, mouth open in a desperate but happy smile. "We can watch over them together, protect the land and the Triforce better than any mortal could. Please, my dear."

Although the impulse ran through her to shout her refusal, shove at the woman and run from whatever magical retaliation a goddess could summon on her, Zelda knew that option was foolish. She had to think of the long-term. While Cia seemed to hold no grudge against Hyrule, even claiming a desire to protect it, the princess sensed that it existed more out of a regard for the other goddess than any real love of mortals. "I-that's… I understand the logic behind your proposal, but, reincarnation of the goddess though I might be, I am not Hylia. My mind and soul are mortal, and my obligations as princess and sole holder of a rightful claim to the throne, not to mention a few deep personal connections, would make it irresponsible and selfish of me to accept." She did not mention that she had no desire to take it up anyway. Her personal feelings on decisions mattered little as princess, she had learned that long ago. Besides, the prospect of all eternity stretching before her with no end was frightening.

"Irresponsible… I see…" She closed her eyes, looking away again, only to swing back with startling speed, closing the distance between herself and Zelda in a single step so that they were face-to-face. "I suppose _irresponsible_ I can understand, so obsessed you were with your duties," Cia hissed, "but _selfish_? No. No, _selfish_ was you giving so much of yourself, so much power and connection t those _humans_. Selfish?" As she repeated the word, Zelda felt a palpable thickening in the air, a high note like the moment before a lightning strike. "You forced me into letting you seal way all that power, that potential, that boundless love, and becoming a simple human when we both knew there were other options. _SELFISH_?" Cia slammed a hand on the railing to either side of Zelda, leaving deep cracks in the stonework. " _Selfish_ was you abandoning me completely, leaving me _completely_ alone for _centuries_ to complete your duties as well as mine without giving me even the slightest hope of ever seeing you again. _So tell me Hylia,_ " Her voice crescendoed with the force of thunder, " _WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW OF NOT DOING THE SELFISH THING?"_

Zelda could do nothing but tremble at the force before her, sure that even if she had her weaponry and magic and the entire forces of her army at her back at that moment, that she would not be able to do anything to oppose the goddess. She had always known deities to hold immeasurable power, but reading of it and having it shown up close were completely different things.

Cia raised her hand above Zelda's head as if to strike, but she tightened every muscle in the arm, stiffening it before letting the clenched fist fall open. Sighing, she lowered it, locking her gaze with Zelda's. "I…can't…" Fingertips trembling, she placed one hand against the curve of Zelda's cheek as the well behind her eyes broke and tears began freely falling down her face. Cia let the hand rest there as she took the princess in. So much like her dearest. She guided the other forward to close the distance between them and laid the softest kiss on the top of Zelda's head. "It's alright." Leaning back to look at her once more, she spoke in a choked whisper. "I shouldn't blame you because you don't understand. But I promise you, once I get ahold of the Triforce, I'll fix everything."

And just like that, she was gone. No longer being supported, Zelda staggered under her own weight. When she fell back on the balcony railing, the already abused stone gave way under her, sending her to the ground with a loud crash.

At the same time, her door burst open and guards began to fill the room, Impa at the front and heading straight for Zelda. In the ensuing chaos, the princess was too stunned to react beyond registering the cold marks and slight ache in her temples that accompanied her own tears, and the unfamiliar, deep impression of sadness that the proclamation had made in her, the sweetest and most despairing words she had ever heard.


End file.
